Persona 4: The Garden Of Truth
by judasuu
Summary: Taking off from where the Investigation Team and Shadow Operatives left off, Minato, Souji and Yosuke will track down the malevolent entity that is responsible for everything that has transpired in the t.v. world and bonds will be forged. The Truth is there, reach out for it!
1. Chapter 1

**Persona 4: The Garden Of Truth**

**Note: This story takes place after Yosuke's storyline in Persona 4: Arena. So I suppose Yosuke is more like the main protagonist in the Arena here instead of P4protagonist. Also, I decided to use the name Souji for the protagonist since that's the first name I got to know the character by when I read the manga of P4. Anyway, I'll try to make this appealing, I hope you readers would enjoy this. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any.**

**Chapter 1: Death's Embrace**

...At the end of the world...

"..." ...In this place that lacks any end of sight, a gigantic wall is standing before an entity that is to be reckoned with. On the wall... someone... a lone soul who has endured a lot... a soul who has forged bonds with other people... a soul that is a messiah... "...Where am I? Why do I feel... Ah, that's right. How many years have passed? ...Three years...? ...2010, 2011, 2012... How long was I here?"

"Do you wish to know the answer...?" A loud echoing voice asked.

"...? You are..."

"Of all those... granted the infinite potential, you alone have surprised me." ...This is... Nyx. It's conversing with Minato... the entity is that of pure destruction as its coming to the world means the end of the world itself. "How predictable you living beings have come to be. Mortals who are squandering over the potential you have been bestowed... yet you do not use it."

"...Hey, who are... you?"

"Hm, I am known as the one who will bring about The Fall. Although... you shall know by now of what the mortals refer to _we_."

"..." ..._"We"_ huh? Nyx refers to itself in plural as in a mass of shadows that have been gathered and thus... it is said that shadows are pieces of Nyx... thus, it can be said that Nyx is the "mother" of shadows as in a lot of shadows have made Nyx in what "she" is right now. "...Why are you talking to me now?" Through all the time they spent together... well, neither Minato nor Nyx had said anything to each other so... this development is rather surprising.

"That is something I find ourselves puzzled as well, mortals seem to be affecting anything that may be within their grasp."

Again, it's referring to itself in plural using the word "ourselves" and "we"... perhaps it is a plural entity that is a massive gathering of shadows and they have been accumulated. "Then..." _Flaash. _"Hm?" Minato sees a light ahead. "Light..."

"..." Nyx finds the light to be rather harmful to itself but it didn't last long as the light became comforting for Nyx herself. "..."

"This is..." Minato... his body begun to reform... the first thing that manifested out of the Great Seal is his arms... then his legs... then his torso... and eventually... his own face. He still has the same appearance before. He's still... perhaps he has aged in just one year as in right now... he's perhaps 17 years old. Minato is removed from the Great Seal and reached out for the light.

"...Through the dense forces that is laid before your path, what shall you do? Son of man... I shall bear witness to your coming to the reality of mortals." Nyx said as Minato grasped the light, then...

...Yasoinaba station...

"..." It's raining. Minato finds himself standing at the side of Yasoinaba station where he is being covered from the rain. He looked out through the distance... this place... is not familiar. He has never been here before, so why he's here? "Ah." Minato reads the signpost "Yasoinaba Station", he's not familiar with the place still. "..." He looked at the street, someone is walking there with some plastig bags and an umbrella. He's wearing an apron that seems to be of that of an employee attire.

"Ah, damn. It's raining tonight. And I thought we'll be leaving today too, _sigh, _but geez, we gotta get to the bottom of this. Aibou's coming here... geez, that guy is like a disaster-magnet thing." ...It's Yosuke Hanamura. The son of the manager of Junes Department. He's quite famous here in Inaba for being... well, as much as Yosuke resents being the main target of all fuckers out here... he's quite famous for being an enemy of the shopping district because of Junes's fame. "But damn, that whole thing about Labrys... Hm, I wonder who could do such a thing."

"..." Yosuke didn't noticed Minato's presence but... "Hm?" Minato noticed someone coming out of the station... or maybe this person has been standing here this whole time. This person is wearing a black robe that is completely covering his face and body. His face is shrouded in a black hood and there's a rather wicked aura about him. "..." Minato can feel the stinking stench of that aura. It's very unnerving.

"..." The person walks out of the station... then Minato saw his face, it's pale... like it lacks any human color.

"Hm?" Just then Yosuke noticed the person... and Minato. "What the..." He finds it odd that someone wearing a robe is walking out of the station right here in the middle of the night. By the way, it's now 8 p.m. in the evening. "A new guy? Hm, that's funny. They said that there won't be any train that is bound for here during Golden Week. I wonder if..."

The man then turned to Minato. "Hm?" It seems to have noticed something... different about him. "Y-You are..." He's fidgeting. "...Ah, intriguing. You possess the same thing _he _has."

"...?" Minato has a question mark on his head.

"Very well, you will have to suffice."

"..." At that moment, Minato felt a dangerous aura then...

_Blaasssttrrghh-! _An elastic blast of energy emanated from the hooded person, at the blast of the energy aura, his hood is removed... revealing the man to be... bald and... pale... very pale. Then his flesh dissolved and... He becomes... a shadow. It's the usual shadow that is normally encountered in Tartarus as well as in the Mayonaka terebi. It lacks much human appearance and it's using its two arms to crawl and pull its body. It has reddish eyes that is normally seen of shadows except for those big ones, meaning those shadows who look exactly like their real selves and they have yellowish demonic eyes. "Grooaarr!"

"Huh? What the..." Yosuke saw the whole thing and in a shock and surprise he dropped his umbrella and the plastic bags he's carrying. "What the hell..."

"Grooaarr, I am here to make you surrender to your darkness and surrender your shadow to me, now, come! Grooaarr!" The shadow said... wait... perhaps... this isn't a shadow.

"...You're not a shadow. Show yourself... copycat." _Blast! _Blue fog or mist came out of Minato, summoning his persona who is... _Flaash, flaash-! Blast! _...A persona... who is neither Orpheus nor Thanatos but... this persona... is... Nyx... Avatar. Or at least it has the same appearance of that entity that Minato fought before.

"What the..." Once again Yosuke saw the whole thing.

"Grooaarr!" The copycat attacked.

"Hm," The persona who looks like Nyx Avatar summoned an arcana card... The Fortune.

"_**Alongside time exists fate, the bearer of cruelty.**_" Minato said with his voice having two voices. One is his own voice and the other is that of a demonic voice that is heard from shadow selves who mimic their appearance, appearance of their real selves, their voices... it's the same voice alright. _Gusst, gusst-! Blooast! _Minato easily dispatched the copycat, it's in the form of an ordinary shadow anyway.

"Wha..." Yosuke is in awe of what he saw. "What the heck..."

As the shadow, or copycat as Minato would put it, dissolved and faded in a black smoke that is... unlike other shadows, the smoke rose up and went somewhere else... it flew to the sky then left like the wind that is going about its destination.

"..." Minato turned to Yosuke.

"Oh uh..." Who becomes nervous at his stare. "Uh..." Yosuke tries to put his thoughts together. "Uh... you're... persona-user?" He refers to his persona who is still present.

Minato turned to it. Then the persona disappeared then a persona card comes landing to Minato and it merged with him. Its name is... ...Nyx Avatar. ...Names are meaningless, yet mortals use them and as such they become meaningful. Minato nodded at Yosuke's question.

"Oh uh I... see. ... ..." Yosuke sweat drops since Minato is not saying anything.

"Hm,"

"Uh well... then... are you... uh... are you an acquaintance with Aegis-san."

"..." Minato is shocked that Yosuke knows Aegis, but that aside, his question sounded more like a sentence than a question due to Yosuke's nervousness. He nodded in confirmation and Yosuke seems to be relieved.

"Wow, then... did she sent you?"

...A while later...

From what Minato gathered at Yosuke's story, it seems like... a new generation of persona-users have been born just like SEES. ...Minato finds that... fascinating. "Ah." That's Minato's reply as Yosuke finished his story.

"So uh... did Aegis-san sent for you? I mean, considering what we just did in the t.v. and..."

"You see..." As both of them sat and talked about a lot of things by the stairway of the station, Minato decided to give his own story to Yosuke who has been talking for... 30 minutes it seems. It's already 8:37 in the evening.

...Another 30 minutes have passed...

"Whoa, really? There were shadows that were outside of the t.v. and- Oh right, Aegis-san did mentioned something like that before..."

"Hm," After telling the whole story about Minato's own journey... well, Minato didn't told everything of course like... well... during his private moments with certain people... girls that is... Chihiro, Yukari, Fuuka... well, he didn't told him that part... those parts that is.

"Well... wow... that's... intriguing I guess."

"Ah, so... in your story you're... You say you have a leader... your aibou, Seta Souji, was it?"

"Ah, so then you're..."

...Meanwhile, in an underground laboratory...

One person is working onto something... there's an impressive collection of shadows here in this lab... all of them are caged up and all of them are... they are the "normal" shadows as in they are the ones who can be considered weak compared to other shadows that are strong willed. Anyway, about this person who is working... he's wearing a white lab coat and he has long hair that is about shoulder length, it's a guy and... "..." ...Funny... and rather strange and creepy... the guy suddenly dissolved... as in his flesh has ceased to be... then forming out of thin air... a darkness that is moving in an elastic way is forming into a shape of a human... Takeharu Kirijo... with yellowish eyes. ...This one is a copycat... a... a...

"Another perfect vessel has appeared. And... this one is more powerful than that of the perfect vessel among the vessels that have gathered. Minato Arisato... intriguing mortal. ...Is a mortal? A god? Hm, I must make him the true perfect vessel." This copycat is speaking in the voice of Takeharu Kirijo as well as the voice of... well... demonic actually. "Also, I must deal with the vessels that have gathered. The one that thwarted our effort... Hanamura Yosuke... as well as the one with unpredictable outcome... I must deal with this matter as we see fit." The lights of the lab lit up at the corners of the lab. All of them are emanating green color and the shadows roared at that. "The true perfect vessel..." The copycat raised up both of its arms... then its appearance changed into Mitsuru with yellowish eyes... then to Akihiko... Aegis... Labrys... Akihiko again... Ken... Yukari... Junpei... Fuuka... Shinjiro... Then it begun to undergo a fast transformation into various individuals until...

_Waarp, shaawwarpp-! _...Apparently, could not contain the current appearance, the copycat dissolved and smoke rose up from the remains and then... the smoke comes to merge with a container that is filled with water. This container can be called a capsule in this lab. It's enough to fit in a human inside and... A giant eyeball came about... "_**We who are one and all shall bring forth the true paradise of this world and we shall beeeee...!**_"

...Hanamura Residence...

"Geez, you eat a lot." Yosuke decided to bring Minato here seeing that he has no place to stay. Though Yosuke suggested going to the Amagi inn first, he thought that perhaps someone like Minato, who is new to this place, might feel bewildered if he goes there. Then... Minato said that he's hungry and Yosuke decided to give him some of the leftovers in the refrigerator. "Hey, just how much will it take to satisfy your appetite anyway? It's like you haven't eaten for months or maybe even years man..."

"...Three years actually."

Yosuke sweat drops at that. Three years huh... Yosuke is still having a hard time believing the part of Minato's story where he... "died", as he put it, and then he later returned... well, just recently in fact. "Huh, three years huh, well anyway, if you're gonna stay here you'll have to sleep at the sofa. Is that okay?"

"Ah." Minato said swallowing the ramen noodles on his mouth. By the way, there has been a mountain of ramen cups on the table... all of which have been emptied by Minato. Which amazed Yosuke and made him think that Minato is the same as his aibou... weird. Yup, a weirdo in Yosuke's book.

"So anyway... _groan, _oh right, that dumb bear won't be coming tonight." Yosuke remembered that kuma went to Souji's place to stay with Nanako. Geez, that guy has a thing for Nanako huh... Wait, referring to him as "thing" would be rude so... "stupid bear" would be more precise then.

"Bear?"

"Uh yeah, you might find it hard to believe but... see this little bear in this picture?" Yosuke presented a picture of kuma. This photo was taken by... by kuma himself actually.

"...? That's bear?"

"Ah, I know it's hard to believe, but hey, you might not also believe this, but this guy's a shadow. You... you mentioned that you had a friend that is like a shadow right?"

"..." Ah yes, a friend... a shadow... the prince of destruction... "Ah." Ryoji Mochizuki. A transfer student. A shadow. A friend. An enemy. ...The embodiment of all full moon shadows...

"Ah, well this guy here is also a shadow. But... like your friend... ah, I don't know. Perhaps shadows can also awaken to... Ah, dammit. Sorry, I gotta take a shower. Oh, if you want, oh, by the way, you better dump those somewhere man." He's referring to the mountain of ramen cups on the table.

"Ah."

"Well, you can watch t.v. there if you want, sa te, I gotta release some sweat on the shower." Yosuke heads for the bathroom.

...Later...

"Ah, that feels much... ah, cold." Yosuke came out of the bathroom with the towel hanging over by his neck and shoulders. "Hm, hm, ah. Ah." He's still drying his hair. "Hm, hey, Arisato?" He called out to Minato who is still watching the news on t.v. "Oh, there you are."

"Hm," Yosuke comes to the living room with him wearing a bathrobe and he lies the towel on the sofa. He watched the news as well. "So, you live here by yourself?"

"Hm? Oh, well, not really. There's some rooms in Junes that one can sleep on for the night but... it's mostly used by my folks and some devoted employees. I worked there... oh, and I'm still working there as an advisor."

"Huh, you're really amaizing."

"Huh? Dude, it's nothing but pain, haha." Yosuke feels proud for being praised at his hardwork. Souji said the same thing to him last year as far as he could remember. "So then again, you-" The doorbell suddenly rang. "Oh, uh, just a second. Must be a delivery." Yosuke stood up to answer the door.

Minato stayed at the living room.

The doorbell sounded again. "Hai, hai, I'm coming. Yes?" Yosuke opened the door. It's Souji.

"Hey, Yosuke."

"Oh, aibou. What brings you here?"

"Well, I- Huh?" Souji took notice of Minato.

"..." He turned to Souji as well.

"That's..."

"Hm? Oh, that's..." Yosuke said.

...A while later...

The three dudes sat and chatted at the sofa... well, two sofas actually. The other one was removed since Yosuke decided to use that for Minato's resting place. So anyway, the fact that the t.v. is being surrounded by three sofas, Minato cannot helped but be reminded of the dormitory in Port Island. "And that's the story." Yosuke said after explaining the details to Souji who had just arrived.

"I see... Then, Arisato, you are a persona-user?"

"Ah."

"..."

"..." Both wild cards stare at each other with silent treatment being the only impression they're giving to each other.

"..."

"..."

"Uh..." Yosuke feels out of place here so he cannot help but sweat drop at this awkward silence. "H-Hey, tea anyone?" He offered a tea in an awkward way to break the silence.

"Sure." Both of them said accepting the offer.

Yosuke sweat drops again and sighed at this awkward staring. "Hey, by the way, am I in the way?"

"Ah." They both said again.

That's the last straw as Yosuke suddenly felt like he's been stabbed with an arrow that is saying "unrelated person". "Geez, whatever. Anyway, aibou, you said we'll be going to Port Island and..."

"Hm?" As Yosuke tries to change the topic, Minato noticed a black smoke coming in from the window... "..." ...It's getting closer.

"So as I said, I- Huh?"

"Hm?" Both Yosuke and Souji took notice of the black smoke that is gathering on the middle. In front of the boys and in front of the t.v. as well.

"What the..."

"A... smoke."

"Ah."

"Hm," Minato said as if they are suddenly feeling like the should say something. Yosuke is the first to react, then Souji, then Minato. "..."

They observed the smoke then... it begun to... lit... lit.. as in to lit up something... sparkles begun to appear... as if a rocket has been lit... like a rocket firework that is... then...

"Uh... hey, it's... it's... it's litting up." Yosuke said.

"Ah."

"Ah." Both Souji and Minato said emotionless.

"..."

"..."

"..." All three fell silent. Then...

"Hey, doesn't it look like some kind of... dynamite sparkle or something... like... a bomb is about to explode...?"

"Ah." They both said again.

"Hm, hm... Well... What do you think?" Yosuke asked the two.

"It's gonna explode."

"Ah." Minato said followed by Souji agreeing.

"Ah. Hm," After a while of thinking... and snapping some sense into their minds... or their blockheads... "Hey- HEY WAIT A MINUTE! THAT'S NOT GOOD! IT'S GONNA EXPLODE!" Yosuke, being the first to be common to common senses, said hysterically. The sparkles become rather intimidating and ominous.

"It's gonna explode."

"Ah." Both Minato and Souji said the same thing again. Same order too.

"Ah." Yosuke said the same thing while putting his finger on his chin to think... then... after snapping some sense, again, he... "Hey! Dammit!" _Bonk, bonk! _He hit both Minato and Souji on the head. "RUN FOR ITTT!" All three guys stood up from the sofas and... _BOOM, BOOM-! _The sofas were sent flying and t.v. has been pulverized. "Guargh!" Yosuke hit his head on a lamp that fell. "Ow, my head. Huh?" Then turning his eyes on the living room. "What the..." The place is a mess.

"Hm, hrngh."

"Hm, ah." Both Minato and Souji seem to be okay. They rose up from the broken sofas that were sent flying by the explosion. "Huh, what a mess." Souji said emotionless.

"Ah." Minato said with the same expression.

"Yeah, what a mess." Yosuke agrees. Then... "Yeah, and... MY HOUSE IS A RUIIIINNN-!" He yelled outloud to which some of the neighbors turned on their lights and shouted "SHUT UP!" all the same time.

"Hey, Hanamura, shut up!" Yosuke's friend, Chie, yelled from afar. She also has some steaks on her hand and she just put one on her mouth then closed her window after shouting to give Yosuke a piece of her mind.

...While for the three guys...

"Dude, my dad is so gonna kill me." Yosuke said holding his head with both hands in horror. He's staring at the damage that has been done. ...The t.v. is completely pulverized and the sofas have been destroyed... one of which is still burning... then the flames got extinguished. "Yeah, my dad is sooo gonna kill me..."

"You'll be fine." Souji said.

"Ah." Minato said. Both of them pat Yosuke on both shoulders.

"Ah, thanks." Yosuke feels comforted but... "Hey, HEY WAIT A MINUTE!" _Bonk, bonk! _He hit both of them on the head again. "WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT! THAT... thing..." Turning to that smoke that is still sparkling... it slowly becomes aware of the state of the three guys. It then begun to form into an eyeball that is floating in a vertical way, then it stared at them. "Whoa, what the..."

"_**You three would make perfect vessels, I have come to finish what was intended for all of you. Die with honor as you become "one" and "all" for all of us!**_"

(Battle Commence)

Red mist gathers around the eyeball that is floating. It's casting something... _**Agidyne!**_ _Ablaaze, ablaaze! _"Whoa!" Both Minato and Souji went out of the way so Yosuke was the only one who got hit, it didn't hurt him though. "Ah, dammit. Just how crazy this night is going to beeee-!" Out of frustration, he summoned his persona card and... _flash! _"Jiraiya!" _Gust, gust, gust, bloomgh! _Yosuke fired Magarudyne towards this malevolent entity.

"I guess we'll have to fight it, let's go!" Souji said summoning his persona card as he goes towards the malevolent entity. _Flash, flash! Shock, shoock, boom! _Then he fired Maziodyne towards it.

"Hm," Minato closed his eyes and opened his palm. _Flash. _He summoned a persona card. This is his second time doing this kind of summoning. The one he's familiar with is... well, he doesn't have the gun... not really a gun... with him so this best suits him for now. "Sa, let's go." _Flash! _Crushing the card in the same manner of Souji, he summoned his persona. _Flash! _Nyx Avatar is summoned. Then an arcana card, The Fool, is summoned. "Ahh..." Minato's eyes glowed in blue color.

"Damn you, how dare you trash my place! You're gonna pay for that, and I will send you this one hell of a pounding right into that iris of yours! HIYAA-!" Yosuke just used Brave Blade towards the entity which caused a scar that immediately regenerated afterwards.

"Hiyaa-!" Souji just attacked the entity with his katana then Izanagi followed suit by slashing it repeatedly along with Souji. _Slash, slash, slash! _It caused some scars to the eye but just like Yosuke's attack it immediately recovered.

"Hm," Minato changed the arcana card of The Fool into The Magician. "_**Attaining one's dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination.**_" He said complete with a demonic voice. _ABLAAZE! __**ABLAAZE! **_And with that he cast _**Ragnarok**_which caused the eye to be burned with searing flames, causing a large scar to open up.

"Huaarghh-!" _SLASH, __**SLAASH-! **_Yosuke decided to ensure that the wound wouldn't close so he inflicted more into it by attacking with Brave Blade.

"Huaahh-!" _**SLAAASH-! **_Souji jumped from behind then Izanagi followed the same move and lunged forward and inflicted a severe strike to the eye, causing the wound to open up further.

"Grooaarr!"

"Hiyaa-!" _Pounch, pounch, pounch! _Then Yosuke, out of pure frustration and rage, started punching the eye. "Damn you, if you think you're gonna get off that easily, think again-! Hiyaa-!"

"Wait, Yosuke." Souji stopped Yosuke by grabbing his right shoulder.

"Hm? What? Huh?" Turning to the eye, it seems to be trying to escape as it's suddenly engulfed with reddish aura and there's some sort of circle symbol on the floor.

"Hm," Minato dismissed his persona and went closer along with the other two. "Is it... escaping?"

"I think so. Hm, this maybe the best time to... Hm,"

"Hm, to follow it?"

"Ah."

"What? Follow it? Wait, aibou, don't tell me you..." Yosuke said getting an idea of what Souji and Minato are thinking.

"We won't know where to go and where to investigate unless we follow this thing now. I have a cellphone here, we can contact the others and tell them of our location."

"Huh? Oh right, I have my cellphone too and- G-Guaah!" Yosuke got pulled by Souji.

"Let's go, let's go along for the ride!"

"H-Hey, WAIT A MINUTTTEE-!" Yosuke got forced into the portal against his will.

Minato followed behind.

...Meanwhile...

"Hey, Hanamura, shut up!" Chie heard Yosuke from afar and decided to give him a piece of her mind again. "Geez, that moron, screaming like that... hey, another steak please!" Chie is no longer feeling drowsy since she got up when Yosuke shouted earlier so she decided to come to this meat stand to buy some steaks.

...All the while... in a dimension crossing place...

"Huaah!" Yosuke, Souji and Minato are pulled here to follow that malevolent entity.

"Here we go, we're going after that thing!" Souji said.

"Ah, let's go, together." Minato said.

"Hm," Souji nodded. Both of them put their hands together. "Together."

"Together."

"Hey, Yosuke, put your hand here."

"H-Hai." Yosuke, who is trying not to get bewildered at this place with no end in sight, said putting his hand. "Guh, I don't care where we end up anymore, let's just FUCKING DO THISS-!" _Flaash, flaash! _They exited the dimension and... they found themselves in...

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Persona 4: The Garden Of Truth**

**Chapter 2: Into Where The Prophecy Was Foretold**

...Iwatodai Dormitory...

"Ah, augh, ow. Huh?" After rubbing his head, Yosuke finds himself lying on a floor inside a building that is devoid of light. "What... the...?"

"Are you awake, Yosuke?" Souji comes to his side.

"Aibou? Wha- Hey, wait a minute! Where are we? What time is it? What-"

"Relax. We're in Iwatodai dormitory."

"Huh? Iwa... todai?"

"Ah, we're not currently in Inaba at the moment. It seems like that hole... portal, I think, transported us here."

"Portal? Oh right, we jumped into that thing and- Wait, where's Arisato?"

At that moment, the doors opened up. Minato came in carrying some plastic bags that are full of ramen cups. He probably got them from Hagakure ramen shop. "Oh, you're awake. Breakfast." He said putting down the plastic bags on the sofa that is near the middle of the room.

"Oh, breakfast. Thanks a- HEY WAIT A MINUTE! I HAVE NO APPETITE FOR THIS KIND OF SITUATION WE'RE IN!" Could not contain his own composure at this crazy atmosphere of sort he decided to get to the finer details. "So anyway, Arisato, what is this place?"

Minato looked around. "...Home."

"Huh?"

"Home?" Yosuke and Souji asked.

...A while later...

Both Minato and Yosuke are sitting on the sofa that is near the middle of the room while Souji sits on the nearby chair that is soft much like the sofas and the other chair on the other side. "I see... so you lived here before." Yosuke said after hearing Minato's story.

"Hm," Minato looked around the room with some heavy, tight feelings running through his chest. Is this nostalgia? "Hm, it seems our enemy managed to get slipped through our fingers."

"Ah, so much for following them, geez. Anyway, you're saying we're in Iwatodai? The same place we came in last year during the school trip?"

"Seems like it. We never came here though." Souji said.

"Huh, yeah. The last time we passed here we saw a sign that says "Keep Out. Dormitory is closed down" or something but geez you lived here with a bunch of other persona-users, Arisato? Arisato?"

Yosuke and Souji noticed that Minato is looking down on the ground with a rather uncertain expression about him. "...Are they still...?"

"Hm? Who are you... referring to?"

Minato shook his head. "...Nothing. I'm just wondering if the people I know are still here."

"People you... oh right, you did say you had known a lot of people who are living in this place and you're wondering... oh right." ...Right, since Minato is... "reincarnated" of sort the people he knows might become shock or perhaps they might lose their minds if... well... if there's such as thing as "reality warping" then this world... won't make sense at all but unfortunately for delusionary fools... truth is always absolute. And reality is absolute.

"So I take it that you want to meet them?" Souji asked. Minato nodded though a bit uncertain as well. "I see... Then,"

"We're here to track down the culprit behind that... Labrys, was it?" Minato heard the whole story from Souji when Yosuke was still unconcious when they got here. According from what Minato could gather, after Souji returned here another problem came up. ...Geez, it's similar to his case in which he has finally returned to the land of the living but then another ordeal has taken place. Minato is beginning to think that Fate keeps entrusting him in doing all sort of saving-the-world kind of thing everywhere he goes, but oh well... Minato is used to hellish experience anyway, he didn't became the messiah... sort of, for nothing anyway.

"Ah, but I would also want you to visit some old acquaintances if you want. That's not a bother for us so don't worry."

"Hm,"

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong having a little reunion here and then." Yosuke said assuring him as well. "Oh, mind if you show us around? This place is... well..."

"Why do you want to look around? We're not for a pleasure trip and..." Souji said getting worried about all this...

"Hey, it's been a while since I went to an urban area you know. The last thing I remember was being at the capital but... this time... we get to get to hotter places! Oh, by the way, did you heard what Kirijo-san told us? About how we..."

"..." Minato felt a little shaken up by what... or who Yosuke mentioned by "Kirijo-san". There's one person that comes to his mind... it's a woman... red hair... beautiful... elegant... well-mannered... motherly... "...Mit... Mitsuru..."

"Ah, I see you know about her, Arisato. How- Oh right, you did say you fought with her once during your time."

"I see... Then you are right, Yosuke. This place is where Labrys was taken after they left, right?" Souji asked.

"Yeah, so I figured... maybe we'll find them here?"

"...I know some places around where I think they might gather." Minato said. There's only one place in the island that is worth going actually... Gekkoukan High school.

...Meanwhile, at Inaba... Junes Food Court...

"Geez, where the hell are those two anyway!" Everyone is gathered here at the usual table where everyone would meet... but this time the two leaders... well, the leader and second banana are missing this time. They're the ones who decide things of what the team will do but now... no one in command would be issuing orders. So that leads to...

"Both Hanamura-senpai and Seta-senpai were the ones who said that we'll be doing our own investigation but... it would appear it now falls on us." Naoto said being analytical as usual.

"Geez, where did they go? Today's an important day. The Investigation Team who have been half-assing in their busy lives have finally returned and two members are missing... _groan._" Kanji groaned at this so-called grand entrance or introduction. "But geez... yesterday was one hell of a day though, I never thought buying a huge t.v. would be like putting a hell raiser in your own home."

"And you were dumb enough to fell victim into your eating t.v.!" Kuma teased.

"Shut up! You're always swinging by to Senpai's place even though Nanako-chan isn't there and when you do you keep giving Dojima-san one hell of list of complaints about not being with the little girl."

"Uwa, how rude! My love for Nana-chan is pure and blossoming as-"

"Shut up! Stop that, we don't have time for your stupid catchphrase." Chie said.

"Uwa! You think so too Chie-chan? Noo... And I thought I... That's it, no more. This time I'm gonna show how cute I'm really am and-"

"LISTEN!" Chie stood up and slammed her hands on the table, but not very impacting as it didn't made much sound that echoed. "Those two dimwits are out there and we're already here. Will someone call them up?"

"Oh right, Souji-kun number... Oh, his cellphone hasn't changed right? Maybe I should give him a call." Yukiko decided to call Souji through her cell. ... ... ...No response. It seems it cannot reached the contact. "Hm, no good. I can't reach him. Did he turned off his cellphone?"

"It's not like Souji-kun to do that, he's always open up for any incoming messages or texts from us or from anybody else."

"Hm, yes, Senpai is a reasonable and responsible person so I doubt he'll just turn off his cell without thinking of decisions that may affect all of us considering that it was him and Hanamura-senpai who told us that we'll be meeting up today here in the food court. But I would say... the timing of this is rather... impeccable." Naoto said pondering about this whole thing.

"Impeccable? What do you mean? That someone may actually be trying to make both Souji-senpai and Yosuke-senpai late?" Kanji asked.

"Wait, are you saying... that maybe both Yosuke and Souji-kun were actually attacked by that someone who we encountered at the Mayonaka terebi?"

"...!"

"_gasp!_"

"Ah...!"

"What...!" Everyone is stunned and shocked by what Chie said.

"Wh-What? Did I struck a gold again? Uh... haha, come on, you know I just said the most lamest and dumbest thing and... uh..." Chie herself felt like she just brought up something that has given a clue to everyone and she felt all nervous and decided to grab a bite of her steak to ease up the nervous aura and the fidget on her shoulders.

"W-Wait, you're saying... Senpai is in danger! Oh no..." Rise becomes very worried about Souji. "We have to save them!"

"W-Wait, you're saying... it's for real? Whoever behind that hell ride we just went through in the t.v. world actually came and kidnapped both of our senpai...?" Kanji asked getting worried.

"I... I'm not sure. But... if both Souji-kun and Hanamura-kun aren't here... the only reason I could think of is... is... uh..." Yukiko said trailing off as she cannot say the word that may bring about a dreadful sensation to everyone.

"...That someone... or something may have happened to them." ...Naoto did it instead.

"D-Dude, that's not... good." Kanji said.

"Yeah, let's ask Dojima-san if he has seen Souji-senpai, Nanako-chan too!" Rise said.

"R-Right, Nana-chan might know where Sensei and Yosuke are! I know she does! She knows everything about sensei after all!" Kuma said.

"Well it's the first thing we can do since Nanako-chan does live with Senpai and as for Hanamura-senpai... did he made like... like he noted any of you that he might be late...?" Naoto asked.

"Uh no, the one he'll probably tell that is... uh... me." Chie said.

"Then, we shall divide into two groups. One group will go to the Dojima residence and ask for Senpai's whereabouts. The other group will ask some of the employees here in Junes and if you can you can go over to Hanamura-senpai's house as well."

"Alright, let's go!" Chie said raising a fist upward.

"Yeah!" Everyone said excitedly with a clenched fist raised.

...Later... After an hour of investigation...

"_Sigh,_" Chie's team which consists of Naoto, Kuma and Kanji found no information about Yosuke's whereabouts and as for the other...

"No good. Nanako-chan isn't at home and neither is Dojima-san... it seems like they went for a family outing." Rise's team which consists only of her and Yukiko found nothing about Souji either. "It's like... they made a note on the table that Souji will be staying with Hanamura-senpai at his place."

"At senpai's place? Both of them slept together there?" Kanji asked.

"If Souji-kun was with Yosuke we would have found both of them together but there was... no one... there was no one there and the place was all clean and... it's like someone hired a bunch of maids to clean up the place." Chie said.

"Yeah, it was... well... strange." Yukiko said. "It's... well... refreshing."

"Hm, like you've seen it Yukiko, it was like- Wait, you don't think- _gasp, _you think whoever it was that we encountered in the t.v. actually bought a lot of maids to clean up the place so that there won't be any traces of evidence on the place after he took both Souji-kun and Yosuke?"

Naoto sweat drops at Chie's suggestion. "Uh no, I don't believe that's an appropriate method to clear the trace of movements within a movement trace radius plus-"

"Hm, yeah, no sane... or insane man would do something that smart to cover up their tracks. Besides... hiring maids huh... you think setting a maniac on the loose- well, if you can think in the same way in any moron out there, it would leave a lot of clue so yeah, I don't think that's the point here." Kanji pointed out in a little knowledge more or less.

"Hey, is that supposed to be referencing to my brain status or something?" Chie felt insulted at that.

"Uh no that's not what I meant, I..."

"Hm, both Sensei and Yosuke went off to somewhere without Nana-chan coming... How rude! She's all alone~~!" Kuma cried out in an exaggerated way.

"Um, in case you have neglected on what Kujikawa-san just said... Nanako-chan is having a family outing with Dojima-san." Naoto corrected while sweat dropping at Kuma's exaggeration.

"So, what should we do?" Kanji asked. "We don't know where they are but... oh wait, you don't think... they went... there, right?" Kanji thought of a certain... well...

"Hm? What is it, Tatsumi-kun?"

"Well, this is just a wild guess but... the same thing that Kubo guy- and Adachi pulled out last year... you don't they..."

"Wait, you're saying... Both Yosuke and Souji-kun went to the t.v. world? But why?" Chie asked.

"Don't look at me. I'm not them. Besides... the way I can put it maybe they went ahead and decided to take care of things beforehand."

"You mean they decided to solve this mystery by themselves? Hm," Naoto pondered.

"Oh, those two morons... they ditched us! Just like... just like..." Chie remembered the first time Yosuke and Souji have ventured into the t.v. world while she was waiting for them at the electronic department with her holding on to the lifeline rope... which proved futile either way. "Uuhuuaarghh... That Yosuke... That does it! We're going in there!"

"Huh? We're..." Yukiko feels hesitant to Chie's suggestion.

"Yeah, let give those two some punishment time when we get to them." Rise said.

"Yeah, I'm right behind Rise-chan." Chie said. Yukiko sweat drops at the both of them.

"Hm, well, I suppose it's the best lead for now. With Kuma-kun with us we shouldn't have any troubles in going back here." Naoto said.

"Yup, that's why I'm here-kuma!"

"Enough yapping, let's go." Kanji said.

...Meanwhile, at Paulownia Mall...

"Hm, this is good. Heh, aibou?"

"Ah, this ramen is good." Yosuke, Souji and Minato decided to hang around for a bit here in Paulownia Mall. Minato is the one guiding the two since he's more familiar with this place and being here... he cannot help but look back on his previous experiences that is something he will never forget.

Both Yosuke and Souji are eating ramen. These are much more delicious than the one that... well, it was bought by Yukiko that time and it was for her and Chie but... things became greedy... "Hey, you're not having any, Arisato?"

As response to that _siip _Minato brought out the ramen that he's been holding for some time and he's been waiting for it to be done. Now is the perfect time. "I'll have."

"Hm, okay." The three guys sit at the bench near the fountain. This place... hasn't changed. Or at least, from what Minato can tell this place is still the same mall that time where he used to hang out with both Nozomi and Mutatsu, in the club by the way, and a certain president of a company... They're facing the direction where the station to get Port Island is located. "You know this place reminds of our school trip. You know when we left Kuma here and we prayed about our memories of this place going to stay with us... oh wait, I told all of you that we'll be leaving our memories of youth along with that guy." Both Souji and Yosuke laugh at that.

"...How did he returned?"

"You mean Kuma? Nah, he took the bus... oh wait, I think it was the bus first then the train."

"Ah, apparently he won some lucky ticket that earns him a free ride back home." Souji said.

"Yeah, and he used all of his savings at Junes to take a bus then used that lucky ticket to get back, geez, how come all the lucky stuff are happening around that stupid bear?"

"Hm," Minato thought of Souji's gang as intriguing and fun to be with. ...Much like the SEES members. ...New generation of persona-users huh, intriguing. It seems the legacy of life is full of surprises as usual. Humans do have limitless potential.

"Anyway, we can't be having fun all day long here. We need to come up a plan on what to do." Souji reminded the other two of their businesses here in the first place. They're here to find the culprit behind the whole thing in the mayonaka terebi. So... first step is... "Hm, so, to start off we... Hm,"

"Yeah, where do we go first? Shouldn't we go visit Kirijo-san or..." Yosuke decided to ponder about all this along with Souji.

Then... "Huh?" ...A familiar sight.

"Hm?" Minato stared at that person... Chihiro. Chihiro Fushimi the treasurer. ...Or she _was _once. "...!"

"Huh?" Both stare at each other's direction. A fateful encounter. "Who... _gasp!_"

"Hm," Minato, out of sheer nervousness, decided to leave this mall. "Hm," He throwed away the ramen cup that is now empty on the nearby trash can and ran for the station.

"Huh? Arisato? Hey, w-wait, where are you going!" Yosuke and Souji followed him with confused expressions on their faces.

"A-Arisato? Then... that is...!" Chihiro heard Yosuke calling him Arisato and thus... her confirmation have been enlightened a bit... or perhaps wholly.

...Later, inside the monorail...

"Geez, why'd you run off like that? We almost got left behind you know! Good thing I have my wallet with me or else I'll be stuck here as an homeless vagabond begging for a return ticket or money." Yosuke and Souji barely made it to the train that Minato boarded in a hurry. Both of them managed to enter in before the doors closed.

"Sorry." Minato apologized profusely to Yosuke and Souji. "Sorry."

"Nah, don't worry about it. Anyway, where are we going?"

"Do you know where Kirijo-san would be?" Souji asked.

"Well... The school at Port Island belongs to the Kirijo Group, so I thought we may ask some of the people there..." Minato said.

"Hm, I see. Yes, that might be a good start."

"Actually, shouldn't we look for the culprit or... nah, wait, we don't even have a lead as to where that asshole may be and we don't even know who he is." Yosuke said.

"Ah, more than that our clue is only... Labrys. She was possessed by someone... then Yosuke defeated her**(Note: Again, Yosuke's storyline occured as a backstory for this story)** and whoever it was that hijacked her managed to slip through our fingers."

"Yeah. I kinda wish we could do something but... Kirijo-san insisted that we don't get ourselves involved with this any further and..."

"You're already involved in it when you guys went through that tournament." Minato said.

"Hm, yeah, we already know that man. So to begin with our search for our guy... what should we do?"

"Like Arisato suggested, we should check the nearby school. Oh, here we are." Souji said as the train just stopped.

"Oh boy, here we go." The three decided to go off from the train and start their investigation. "Ah, excuse me, do you know..."

...Later, afternoon...

The sun is about to go down and so far... no luck. They couldn't find any information about Mitsuru's whereabouts as well as the other Shadow Operatives. "Ah dammit, I think we walked around for... three hours. Three frickin hours!"

"_Sigh, _you're right. We're at the school gate and I can tell... even though the school is closed by the authority and there are no students here... there are teachers who are discussing the entrance ceremony in the second semester... none of them would bother talking to us about Kirijo-san... they think we're gawkers to the advertisement of the Kirijo Group." Souji sighed.

"Ahhrghh... Dammit, even here people would just go on about how everyone is filthy rich and that someone... well, that someone who is rich should go down so that business may prosper or... Guh, dammit, why the hell does this remind me of my own life!" Yosuke could not help but feel frustrated at all of this that has transpired. "I mean just because we keep mentioning Kirijo-san's name doesn't mean we're here on financial business or-"

"Huh? Minato?" Someone approached the group. "Holy crap... It really IS you!"

"...!" ...It's Kenji. Kenji Tomochika. A best friend of Minato from school... this school. Minato didn't noticed his presence until now but... he has already seen him so... no point hiding. "...Kenji."

"Huh? Someone you know, Arisato?"

"Ah." He nodded. Yosuke and Souji have question marks on their heads.

"Dude, it really IS you! D-Dude how are you..." Kenji is in a verge of tears...

"..." Minato feels like he can't hide himself anymore from the people has bonded in this place.

"Uh I think we should be going now..." Yosuke said and Souji agrees. Minato decided to follow them but...

"H-Hey, Minato-!" Kenji said.

"Yo, Kenji, what are you- Whoa, why are you crying?"

"Did something happened?" ...More familiar people. Yuko and Kazushi. "Hm?" Yuko turned to Minato. "...! ...! _gasp! _You... You're...!"

"Hm? What's up, Yuko?" Kazushi turned to her direction. "Hm?" ...tick... tick... senses... ticking. "...! Y-You're..."

"Hey, Maiko Oohashi! Wait up!" Some girls wearing female version of the school uniform of Gekkoukan came running. It seems they are students who are trying out the uniforms of this school.

...One of them caught Minato's eyes. ...Maiko... Maiko Oohashi... now in second year... "Hai, hai!" ...Still cheerful as always then... "Sa, why don't we- Huh?" She turned her eyes to Minato. ...He didn't aged as far he is concern though he is probably 17 now since... well... a year has passed before then but that's not important right now. "_gasp! _Y-You're..."

"..." Minato feels like Fate has brought all the people he has known together and now... they got him cornered, nowhere to run or hide.

"Uh..."

"..." Both Yosuke and Souji feel a little out of place here so they're just standing there like statues with a cool breeze passing by.

"Uh excuse me, have you seen... Ah, guah!" ...Chihiro arrived. She tried to ask one person if they have seen Minato but then she saw him in the school gate along with the other two guys, Yosuke and Souji, as well as the other schoolmates. ...What a reunion.

"""Minato-!"""

"Onii-chan!"

...Everyone's voices echoed in Minato's ears and there's one thing that he blurted out... "I'm doomed."

...With that his face is sealed... he must confront everyone... Both Yosuke and Souji sweat drop at this development.

...Meanwhile, at the Food court, Evening...

"_Sigh,_" Naoto and the others returned to the usual table after doing a thorough examination or sensing... for Rise... for the whereabouts of Yosuke and Souji. They are all frustrated and worried.

"_Sigh, _ditto for all location there in the t.v. world. I couldn't sense Hanamura-senpai... nor I could sense Senpai. Muuaargh! This is so annoying! Senpai... _sob, sob._" Rise started crying for her failure.

"Rise... Gurgh, ah, goddammit! Where the hell did Yosuke go anyway! It's now night and... _sob, sob. _I'm worried about him. _sob._" Chie tries to hide her tears of worry but could not hide them anyway. "That... idiot... _sob._"

"Chie..." Yukiko said feeling sympathetic towards her best friend. "...Yeah, and Souji-kun still hasn't called us."

"...Hm, hey, Naoto." Kanji called out.

"...Yes?"

"What do you make of this? Both Senpai and Hanamura-senpai-"

"Don't say it!" Rise blurted that out. "Senpai... senpai... _sob, sob._"

"Kujikawa-san... Hm, it's true we couldn't find the other two among us so... Hm,"

"Sensei and Yosuke weren't in the other side. I wonder where they are." Kuma said sadly.

"Oh my, so we meet again." ...Elizabeth is here.

"Hm?" Rise is the first to take notice. "Y-You're..."

"Huh?" They all turn to her. "Y-You...!" They all said. "You are that...!"

"Oh my, you don't have to give me that look, I am merely here to..."

"It's you... You're the one who beat up Senpai that time and... Are you... What have you done to Senpai!" Rise said accusing her for the disappearances of both Yosuke and Souji.

"You bitch. Where did you take our senpai!" Kanji said preparing his fists. He put them together then... "Tell us!"

"There is no need for hostility. I am here to bring you to them. There is also a certain someone I am eager to meet you see..." _Flaash, flaash... _A blue circle started emanating on the ground. It's the same circle that is formed when a fusion of persona is being done but... this circle then turned into violet color.

"Hm? That's..." Rise said trying to examine this magic of sort.

"What is that thing?" Kanji asked.

"Well then, follow me." Elizabeth stepped forward to the circle then it begins to glow in blue color just like in a fusion of persona. _Flaash! _

"W-Wait, what is that?" Chie asked.

"...I don't think she means us harm. We should follow her." Naoto said.

"What? Are you nuts? What if she capture us too?" Kanji objected to her idea.

"Trust me, my detective intuition is working and it never failed to lead me on the right path."

"Huh? In... tuition?"

"Now then, shall we?" Elizabeth asked. _Flaash, flaash! _The circle became brighter and brighter... _Flaash-! _Everyone is engulfed by it.

"W-Whoaa!" "Ahh!" They all run for the circle with Naoto leading them and they all got engulfed by the light.

...Then there was nothing. The customers and other employees did not see what transpired so it's safe.

...At the Fushimi residence...

Minato is swinging forth and forth on the playground swing that is set up here in the Fushimi residence. Yosuke is just sitting on the other one without swinging. Right now Minato is trying to absorb all of his thoughts and perhaps some stab of guilt that he's feeling because...

"Damn you man, we thought you were dead and..."

"Yeah... _sob... _Don't go disappearing like that and I thought I was... _sob, sob._" Both Kaz and Yuko are crying out since Minato has just shown himself and it's been two years... or perhaps three ever since Minato left... well... if one can put it in a mild way.

"Stupid Onii-chan." Maiko, who is now a second year, said kicking Minato's foot weakly.

"..." Minato feels like he's been bombarded with a lot of troublesome burden of absorbing all the anger and frustration of these people. He feels like he has involved both Yosuke and Souji into this. Souji is by the stairway entrance of Chihiro's house. He's sitting there watching what will transpire. "Hey, sorry." He said to Yosuke.

"Ah, don't worry, we'll be here for you." Feeling sympathetic with Minato's status and condition right now he decided to bear all of this along with Souji.

"..." Souji so far is the only one who hasn't spoken a word ever since they got here in Chihiro's house.

Chihiro came out with some drinks, milk, on a tray and some cookies as if this is a warm reunion party. "Um, everyone, I brought all of you some..." _Flaash. _"Eh?"

"Hm?" Wiping the tears of their eyes, both Kazushi and Yuko turn to the glowing light that is on the road. Kenji noticed it as well as well as Maiko.

"That's..." She said.

"Huh?"

"Hm?"

"Hm?" Minato, Yosuke and Souji laid their eyes on it.

"That's..." Minato said. On the road is a circle. It's glowing brightly and then... he can sense someone... or somebody is about to appear through there. "Ah." This presence... it can only be...

_Flaash, fllaash-! _"We have arrived." Elizabeth... and... the others. They're all lying on the ground as the transport was rather... shaky. Elizabeth is the only one standing. "Ah." She then saw Minato.

"Ah."

"Hm," While Minato is stunned by this development, Elizabeth feels like joy and glee are running through her heart at the sight of him.

"Hm,"

"Hm," She smiled at him.

"Ow, hey, what the... Huh? This is?" Kanji and the others rose up.

"Huh? Hey, you guys." Yosuke said. He and Souji recognized them.

"Ow my head... Huh? Yosuke?" Chie said.

"Souji-kun? And..." Yukiko said.

"Senpai!" Rise said running towards Souji. She gave him a hug afterwards to which she jumped at him.

"Gurgh! R-Rise." Souji catched her nonetheless.

"Senpai! Oh you meanie. You made me worry so much."

"Sensei!" ...All three tumbled on the ground as Kuma joined the fray... or hugging.

Yosuke sweat drops at this development. "Uh, what do I-" _Stroookkeeach! _"Goauh! Ow!" He got kicked on the stomach, a knee kick to be precise, by Chie who is crying with both joy and frustration at the sight of Yosuke.

"The nerve of you! Disappearing on us! _sob, sob._"

"Ow, hey..." Yosuke held his stomach to ease off the pain. "Hey, you have no idea what we went through and now you're gonna make it more difficult if you're gonna keep hitting me you know."

"Shut up! Just... shut... up... _sob._" She tries to remove the tears quickly.

"Ah, since we are all gathered now, I believe we can-" Just as when Elizabeth was about to do something, some men in black robes and hood came passing by. They're murmuring something that cannot be understood at the hearing of others.

"Hm? Hey, that's..."

"Huh?" Both Yosuke and Minato recognized those... those clothing... it's the same robe that guy... that Minato defeated when he first arrived at Inaba...

"Hm, it seems time is at the essence. Oh, or is that "time is of the essence"... I never seem to remember everything... well, one can't know or memorize everything in this world." Elizabeth said half-jokingly.

"Huh? Hey, you're that..." Yosuke recognized her as well as Souji.

"You're that... Eliza... beth." He said.

"Now then, let us be on our way." Another circle has been formed on the ground. This time it's much larger, enough to teleport everyone... including Minato's friends.

"Eh? What the..." They all said. _Flaash! _"Guah!"

"Guah!"

"H-Hey, wait! Whooaahh!" Yosuke said but it was too late. _Flaaaaashh-! _

...Underground Military facility...

_Flash! _Instead of appearing on the ground, the circle appeared in mid-air and it is because of that that everyone who got transported fell down on the ground. It's not high anyway. "There we are. We have arrived at our destination." Elizabeth said while everyone else is on the ground, groaning too by the way. "Hm? Why, are you all sleeping?"

"Like hell we are!" Yosuke said. Everyone stood up then...

_Blaast, waarp, waaarrp-! _Mass of darkness have gathered. Everyone is taken by surprise at that.

"Huh? What the...?" Kanji said.

"It's coming." Elizabeth said in a serious tone. _Waarp, waarp, waaarp...! Waarp, blaargh- BOOM! _

..."_**So, you have come before us. Now you will die-!**_" ...The malevolent entity...

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

**Persona 4: The Garden Of Truth**

**Chapter 3: Revisiting The Graveyard Of The Past Battle**

...Underground Military facility...

...Mass of darkness gathering... There's a dark eyeball in front of everyone. The malevolent entity. It's appearance is that of an eyeball that is floating vertically in which the red iris is like a demonic eye that is eyeing them. "_**So, you have come before us. Now you will die-!**_" _**Magarudyne! Gust, Gust, Gust! **_Strong gust of wind has been sent towards everyone.

"Kyaah!"

"What the-!"

"Look out!" Chihiro, Kazushi and Yuko are all surprised and shocked about all of this since all of it are sudden. Both girls cower to the side while Kazushi remained standing but he is bewildered along with Kenji.

"D-Dude, what's going on? Did we all came to hell or somethiing-!" Kenji screamed frantically like someone has been thrown to the pits... pits of hell...

_**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! **_The attack connected.

...Meanwhile, somewhere else, command center...

Mitsuru seems to be examining some maps and some file papers that are of private files and she herself seems to be absorbed in thought. "Hm, this is..."

Someone came in with a red cape with a hood. Akihiko. "You're still at it? Didn't we... or more rather, shouldn't you be resting and leaving it all to Aegis to examine Labrys so that we may detect the source of the hijacking a while ago?"

Akihiko sat beside her. "Yes, I know. But I can't shake the feeling... the fact that everything seems to be happening all at once and once an event started anything... it's like everything has been planned in advance. Almost like the enemy is aware of our every movement, you think that they're actually..."

"Oh, you're wondering that should Aegis examine Labrys that she herself might fall to the enemy's hijacking and then we would have a hell of a problem with this whole cover up thing."

"Yes, that's true. But to be honest, _sigh... _I'm rather growing weary about all of this."

"You mean about going on and on about this cover-up info right? Hey, you can't just run amok in society telling that there are monsters out there and they just don't know or realize it, that would cause one hell of a problem."

"I agree. But... _Sigh, _I don't know if you understand what I'm going through but-"

Someone suddenly contacted. The bipping came from the computer console with a huge screen on the side. Akihiko pushed the button for the "receive contact" function. "This is command room here. Who is this?"

"Oh, sorry to interrupt but... is Kirijo-senpai there?" It's Fuuka.

"Yamagishi? What is it? Mitsuru is busy at the moment and-"

"No, I'm free now. What is it, Yamagishi?"

Mitsuru willingly listens to Fuuka for a bit since all the files on the table were rather making her go awry since it's all a bunch of cover-up info that is to be released to the public regarding the existence of the shadows which Akihiko describes as running amok since... well... if information were to spread in the populace, half of society might panic and the lack of information and most probably the lack of dignity and calm judgement might destroy half of society.

"I see... So Aegis could not find anything about the source of the hijack?"

"Yes, sad to say this but it seems whoever that person who hijacked... Labrys, was it? Whoever it was seems to be at Port Island."

"What? Port Island?"

"You mean at Iwatodai? Wow, that's... haha, it's been a while since we came there." Akihiko said.

"Yes, I agree but... there's more..." Fuuka sounds nervous and seems to be fidgeting. "There is... a unique presence and... two, I believe that... well..."

"Two? Unique presences?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yes... I believe it's..."

...Underground Military facility...

_BOOM-! _Minato stood in front with his arms spread to the side. He just cast a fusion spell. Infinity. It protected everyone from the attack. The first attack was blocked by Elizabeth using her own persona Thanatos. The second one was blocked by Minato. "Ah, ah, huh?" Chihiro and the rest are probably the only ones who are shocked... very shocked at this development since this is their first time encountering something that is of supernatural and something one does not experienced everyday in their daily lives. "Huh? A... M-Minato-san...?"

"Minato...?" Kazushi said. The others are all eyeing him.

"What the..." One thing Yosuke has noticed is that Minato summoned not only one, but two personas... they formed some sort of spell and thus, Infinity is casted. "He summoned..."

"Two personas?" Souji asked.

"Dude, since when did you learned something like that, Arisato? Or more rather, how did you... Since when did you were able to do something..."

"Please save your query for later, this monster must have a fate that is to be decided. Your fate is in the cards." With that Elizabeth opened her tome and a bunch of tarot cards came out and floated around her. _Thrast, thrast! _The two cards in front went for an assault to the malevolent entity. It blocked the attack though.

"Hmngh...!" Minato summoned a persona card... "Let's go."

(Battle Commence)

Minato summoned Nyx Avatar. A tarot card appeared: The Chariot. "_**One of life's greatest blessings is the freedom to pursue one's goals**_**.**" _Thrast, THRAST, THRAST! _A strong force is sent towards the malevolent entity making it lose its guard.

"Huh? Hey, was that..."

"A persona?" Both Kanji and Naoto were the first to speak up after seeing Minato summon his persona. This is their first time seeing him do it after all.

"Wait, he CAN summon a persona? Yosuke, what's going on?" Chie asked.

"W-Well, uh... N-No time for that! Arisato needs our help. Come on!" _Flash! _Yosuke summoned his persona as well. "Come on, aibou!"

"Ah, let's." _Flash. _Izanagi and Jiraiya are summoned and they stand on a distance from each other with their aim or target is the malevolent entity. _Shock, gust, boom! _Then they started attacking while its guard is down.

"Hey, you guys stand back! It's dangerous!" Yosuke told the others, Chihiro and the other schoolmates of Minato, to back off to the side.

"H-Hai." Chihiro said.

"Wha- I-I don't know what's going on but... Be careful... Minato!" Yuko said as they all gather to the side.

"Shit, what's going on here...?" Kazushi asked.

"Hey, dumbass, don't just stand there! Move!" Kenji urged him to move out of the way and go to the side. All of them are safe for now...

"I shall protect them. If you will excuse me." Elizabeth said to Minato while gesturing to him sweetly.

"Ah, do so. Hanamura, Seta, let's go." Minato said.

"Right." "Got it." Both of the other boys said.

"Sa, let's go! Let's give this guy one hell of a beating!" Yosuke said.

"Ah, let's go! Persona!" "Persona!" Both Souji and Yosuke attacked.

"Hey, wait! Let us help too!"

"Right!" Chie, Yukiko and the rest decided to help and summoned their personas.

"Be careful, everyone, listen to me, there's something strange about this... this presence... It's similar to..." Rise said examining the Malevolent Entity. "It's like..."

"..." _Waarp, waarp, waarp...! _In response to Rise's advice, the malevolent entity begun to move in a elastic way and then... like a glue that has been spilled on the ground, its own wicked and stinking body begun to form into a more familar shape... a human... it's... Minato. It's now copying Minato's own appearance and its eyes are yellowish demonic. "...I am that..." It also speaks in the same voice of Minato with a combination of a demonic voice about it. "...I am a shadow... the true self..."

"..." Minato stared at this mimicry of himself. "Hm,"

"...You are me... I am you... You are-"

"Shut up." Minato crushed his persona card. _SLAASH-! _"You're not me. Copycat."

The malevolent entity regained its composure. "_**...You are strong... Perhaps not as weak as the other vessels yet... that makes you more worthy enough to be the perfect vessel now come-!**_" This is going to be a fight...

"Hm, come." Minato stood his ground.

"Arisato... Minato-san!" Chihiro said.

"Hey, Minato, be careful!" Kenji said. The others look worried.

"Onii-chan." Maiko said.

"Hey, Arisato, don't be a show off and let us help you!" Yosuke said.

"You're not the only one who has dealing with this thing. We'll fight, together." Souji said.

"Hm,"

"Then let's go!" Chie cheered and everybody else prepared for battle to cover up Minato.

Minato himself prepared himself. "Thanks."

...Meanwhile, at a command center...

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" The former SEES members have all been gathered. Those who are younger, more younger and... a dog. And a robot who has a human heart. Mitsuru just advised everyone to prepare.

"Wow, it's just like old times eh?" Junpei is here along with...

"Fuhe, yeah. It's like when... um..." Fuuka agreed with Junpei but then she has become sensitive in bringing up a certaing someone when a certain someone is also here.

"It's okay, why are you giving me that look?" ...Yukari.

"Oh uh well..."

"Hey, aren't we done with that sort of thing by now?"

"Yes, but Yukari-san..." Aegis is also here.

"Hey, come on everyone... Arisato-senpai wouldn't want us to stay like this forever..." Ken is also here.

"Yeah, so quit moping around. Come on, we're going back to Iwatodai this time around." Akihiko said.

"Huh? Iwa... todai? What, back to our old place?" Junpei asked with a hint of excitement on his tone.

"You mean at Port Island?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Akihiko said.

"I'll explain later when we get there. Let us go, everyone, move out!" Mitsuru gave out that command.

...Later, back at Underground Military facility...

_boom, slash, slash, Slash-! _The sound of battle is echoing throughout the halls of this underground facility. It's like a wild chaos party is ensuing.

_boom, boom- Flash, Slash! _Souji just crossed blade and blade with the malevolent entity that is taking on Minato's appearance. Like Minato this entity is using a short sword at the moment and just like its previous encounter with Naoto it's capable of using the same capability and persona of the individual it's mimicking. "Hiya!" Chie tried to kick off its head but it's too agile.

"Hm," ...A pair of gloves, boxing gloves, appeared in the entity's hand and... _Thudcht! _

"Ow!" It punched Chie on the nose. "Ow, that hurt!"

"What the... It... It changed weapons?" Yosuke asked.

In his time Minato was capable of using multiple weapons so that means this entity may be able to do so as well. "Hm," Right now Minato has only a short sword with him so...

"Hey, Arisato, use this!" Kazushi throwed a wooden katana. It's a long sword weapon.

"Hm?"

"You've been ditching kendo practice so I thought I prepared something like that for you. Hell, you ditched a month!"

"Not just a month, but a year! Use it Minato!" Yuko cheered.

"Yeah, kick that guy's ass!" Kenji cheered as well.

"You can do it, Minato-san!" Chihiro cheered.

"Onii-chan... I always thought of you as the coolest guy I ever met so... Beat him to a bloody pulp!" Maiko said.

"Everyone." Minato felt touched at everyone's support and cheering. He closed his eyes and then he grabbed the wooden katana that is lying on the ground. "Thanks."

_Clash, boom, clash, clash! _"Hey, Arisato! If you're done with the melodramatic atmosphere then go and help us here, dammit!" Yosuke said as he tries to push back the entity along with Souji and Kanji.

"Oorryaa-!" _Thuddtch! Thud! Thud! _Kanji grabbed a broken desk that is nearby and he used it as a weapon but right now he prefers to let his fists do the talking. "Oorryaa-!" _Thud! _Kanji managed to disarm the entity with the gloves being taken off from its arms forcefully.

"Hngh." It's been brought to its knees.

"Oh yeah, now it's time to-"

"Hughtch!" The malevolent entity then summoned a bow then, in the same attack posture as Minato, aimed for Kanji.

"Kanji-kun, look out!" Rise said.

_Flash, block! _Naoto casts Mahamaon to blind the entity then Sukuna-Hikona came to block the arrow. "Hm, are you alright, Tatsumi?"

"Huh? Uh yeah." He said turning away from Naoto.

"Grr," The malevolent entity grunted.

"You better be ready to pay you bastard." Kanji said.

"Huuwaarrgh! Come on, Satonaka! Let's kick this guy's ass!" Yosuke said charging towards it with full force.

"Right." Chie prepared both of her legs for some kung fu kicks by stretching them out on the ground then... "Alright, let's go!"

"Huaargh!" _**Garudyne! **_Yosuke cast Garudyne while Chie slid through between his legs with her persona flying above him and her. "Go for it girl!" Yosuke cheered.

"Alright, huaah...!" Chie jumped from the ground after sliding then she performed a rotating kick on the air then... _thud, thud, thud...! THUD! _"Hiya!" _Thud! _She managed to kick off the entity and pushed it back.

Now's the chance... "Alright, one for all and all for one!"

"Yeah!" "Right!" Everyone braced themselves for an all-out-attack.

"Hrrgh," The entity realized that it's in trouble. "Hmrrgh." It summoned a black silhouette of Nyx Avatar. Then... "_**It's useless.**_"

"Huh?" Minato recognized this kind of attack... or more rather... defense shield, it's...

"Hm?" Souji noticed it as well. He has a bad feeling about this. "No, it's..."

"OUT OF OUR WAY!"

"Yeah!"

"Arrghh!"

"Grooaarr!" Everyone charged forward.

"No wait! Don't-!" Souji tried to stop all of them but...

"**Hmngh**," The shield is in effect... "_**Foolish mongrels**__._"

_Thudcht, slash, slash, thud, thud, flicckkht- REFLEECCT-! _

_Thudtcht!_

_Slash, slash!_

_Thud Thud Thud!_

_Fliccktth! Flicchtts!_

_Slash! _

"Guargh!"

"Gyaargh!"

"Ow!"

"Guaarrghh!-kuma!"

"Gyow!"

"Argh!" Yosuke and the others are taken aback by the sudden attacks that came back to them. ...their attacks that were all deflected back towards them.

"Ow, what the... what gives?" Yosuke asked what happened.

"**Hmghn**," The malevolent entity then crushed a what-is-supposed-to-be an imitation of a persona card... _Flash! _The silhouette of Nyx Avatar then raised its great sword upward... _SLLAAAAMM-! _..._**Almighty attack**__. _It sent a force that pushed the team back.

"Guaarrghh-!" They all got knocked down.

"Guys! Damn, what is this..." Souji said.

"Allow me." Elizabeth said as one card floated out of her tome. "Hm, your fate is in the cards." _**Megidolaon **__BOOOM-! _

"**Hhrrooaarr**!" That damaged it a lot.

"Hm," _Flash, flash. _Minato summoned two persona cards... _**Armageddon**__. Bllaaast-! _A lot of energy is swelling... Then as if trying to force something to come out of the ground below the malevolent entity... _BLAAAST! Shooocckk-! Boom! _

"**AAARRRGHH**-!" That damaged it enough to the point that the Moonless Gown ceased to be. "**AAARRGGHH**-! **Gr, gruggh**..." It grunted in pain.

"Now, Seta!" Minato signalled.

"Right, hiyaargh-!" Souji rushed forward. "Take this. Hiyaarrghh-!" With Izanagi in tow, Souji lunged forward. _Slaash, slaash! _While Souji slashed the stomach of the entity Izanagi in the meanwhile is above... _SLAASSHH-! _then it stabbed the sword on the face. The malevolent entity could no longer sustain its current imitation of Minato. "Now." Souji took one step back. Then he raised one hand forward. _Flaash... Flash... Flash! _...Izanagi has transformed into its ultimate form. Izanagi-No-Okami. "Thousand die while a million is born. Thousand die while a million are born..." As Souji said those words... Izanagi held its sword in front, then it begun to rotate it while a beaming light is emanating from it. "Behold, the truth!" _FLAAAAASSHH-! _

"**GROOOAAARR**-!" The imitation form of Minato of the malevolent entity ceased to be and it's back to its eyeball form. This fight is over.

"Alright, aibou!"

"Way to go!" Yosuke and Chie cheered.

"..." Minato watched Souji. The guy is truly is remarkable. It's no wonder he's the wild card of their group.

"Truly remarkable. I was also beaten by that same power." Elizabeth said.

"Really?"

"Yes. This other guest of the Velvet room... oh, he is a guest still, fufu, pardon me."

"Hm, I see."

As for the malevolent entity... Darkness is flowing about at the ground it's standing. It's once again in a form an eyeball that is floating in a vertical way. "**Hnnrrgh, we see... You shall persist until you rid of us. But... Grooaarr, Grooaarr, GROOAARR!**" On a threatening roar that can deafen the ear...

_Grooaarr!_

_Grooaaaarr!  
_

_**GROOAAARR! **_

Some threatening roars are heard throughout the facility.

"What the...?" Yosuke is the first to react.

_Sharp, sharp, Sharp! _Everything went red. The environment is colored red. Red as in blood colored.

"Huh?"

"Wh-What's... What's going on?" Chie said getting nervous.

_Grooaarr!_

_Grooaarr! _

...On the sky above... a lot of shadows are gathering above... All of them are coming from the deepest part of the underground.

"What the...?" Yosuke, once again, is the first to react.

"Wha-What are those things?" Kanji asked.

"_gasp! _Are those...?" Naoto asked unfinished.

"Shadows?" Yukiko finished the question.

As what they are seeing right now is that shadows are being accumulated together above. "**As you can see, haha... HAHAHA! The perfect true vessel is within reach. We have thought of acquiring some vessels that may sustain our continuing presence in this world that is about to be cleansed. The true vessel will act as the tuning point for our grand salvation to be assured.**"

"What?" Souji asked.

"..."

"..." Minato and Elizabeth remained silent in order to hear out this malevolent entity.

"**As man yearns for the easy thread in life, we shall give them what they want. The world will go under the power that overcomes irrationality.**"

"Don't give us that nonsense!"

"Yeah!"

"Hm," Souji, Yosuke and Minato charged forward. _Slash, slash, slash-! _They all dispatched the malevolent entity, but then a large smoke came out of it and it flew far away... probably to the deepest part of the military facility.

"**We shall see you all again and when the time has come we shall be the one to celebrate the coming of the End...!**" ...It's gone. It escaped.

"Hey, get back-!" Yosuke demanded that it returns but...

Everyone's focus is focused on the accumulating shadows above. It seems they all have been accumulated inside a dark sphere that is floating there.

"What is that?" Chihiro asked frightened.

"Th-That icky thing... eeww." Yuko gross out at that sphere that is full of shadows inside.

"Dude, what is that? And... Man, now I've seen everything. Someone wake me up from my dream..." Kazushi said.

"Dude, this isn't a dream you moron! Wake up!" _Thud! _Kenji gave him a smack on the head.

"Hm," Minato watches how the shadows are accumulated above and then... the sphere... went up and it disappeared.

"Huh? It... It's gone?" Naoto asked.

"Where did it go-kuma?"

"I don't know. But damn it, we were so close at beating that guy." Kanji said.

"Yeah, I almost couldn't remain beary still at giving out all of my super duper ultra attack!-kuma!"

"Huh? Dude, you don't have anything like that. If you were-"

"Wait, where did it go? That.. that eye thing..." Yosuke said.

"I believe it has gone back to where it's... where its "nest" is located." Elizabeth said.

"Huh? Its... nest? Uh... Guh, nevermind. Anyway..."

"Hold it there!" A voice said. A bunch of people are gathering.

"Oh there's the spot! Now- Huh?" ...Yukari... The SEES members... former SEES members are here.

"Huh? Wh-What the... K-Kirijo-san?" Yosuke and the others are surprised to see them here. The Shadow Operatives and... some other people who they haven't met yet. "Kirijo-san and..."

"What? You pe-"

"Yosuke!" Labrys is also here. "Yosuke-kun, I'm backk-!" She came running straight to Yosuke and gave him a hug after jumping to him.

"Wha- Wh-Whoaa-! Labrys!"

"I'm so happy to see you again!" They fell together.

"Ow, hey..."

"Yosuke." Chie said in a snarling at Yosuke.

"Hey, Chie, help me out here will you? I got-" As Yosuke tries to reach out for Chie's hand- _STOMP! _"Gyooowwaahh-!" ...his hand got stomped on instead. "Ow, hey, what was that for! Gyaw, hey, Labrys, lay off you're heavy."

While Yosuke would bemoan his fate, unfortunate fate, the Shadow Operatives turn to the others.

"What has happened here? Did you- Huh?" Mitsuru asked Souji but then she took notice of the others who are not persona-users. "Fushimi? What are you- Huh?" Then someone caught her eyes. ...Blue hair... A junior compared to her and... "Who is- _gasp!_"

"Hm? What's up?" Akihiko asked as he approached Mitsuru and then he turned to her direction. "...! Wha-What the...?"

"..." Minato has been prepared for this the entire time. Now he's going to be... be made to suffer, that's for sure.

"Um, K-Kirijo-senpai, we..." Chihiro tries to speak up but words of what happened here escaped through her mouth as she doesn't know what happened here either. She was just watching along with others who are not persona-users.

"..." Minato stood in front of Chihiro as if to defend her. He has done this before in the past where he helped out Chihiro with her nervousness around men. "..." He faced the Shadow Operatives and the others one who...

"Hm? Who is- Huh?" Junpei recognized Minato. He's still the same as he was... he didn't aged that is. He's still in high school while Junpei is... who knows? College? Working student? He's having a hard time seeing Junpei in College though in his mind. "Who the... You... You're...!"

"Hm? What's up, Stupei?" Yukari turned to Junpei's direction and... "...! _gasp! _What the...?"

"Yukari-san?" Aegis... Turning to Minato... "...! Wha... ... Ah, ah... ...! _gasp!_"

"Who the..." Ken and the others were shocked as well.

"Warf, warf, warf!" Koromaru is happy to see Minato though. He ran to his feet and rotated around him. She's... well... Aegis followed but stop sign... Aegis stopped since she seems to be having a hard time comprehending reality.

"Y-You're..."

"Hm," Minato eyed everyone.

"Ow, hey, cut it out." Yosuke finally breaks free from Labrys. "Geez, that hurt you know. I just got... Huh?" He turned to the scene that is happening in front.

"..." Souji can understand what Minato is going through. He felt like he should help out a fellow wild card. "Um, it's like this..."

...Later, at the Iwatodai Dormitory...

_Slap! _The sound of a slap. That is the first thing that is heard before Minato could open the door. The slap he received came from Yukari who is crying with frustration and ache on her heart. "Hm," Minato touched the cheek that got slapped. It's more painful for her though than it is to him. Now Minato knows what it is like to be punched by Akihiko. In Shinjiro's case this is like... well, not exactly a slap but a punch from a childhood friend can certainly make you all stunned to your spine. Minato now knows what it is like in Shinjiro's case to be punched by Akihiko.

"The nerve of you! Why are you here? Shouldn't you supposed to be up there? Blocking the moon or something? Why! Why are you... why are you... Why the hell are you here all of the sudden! _sob, sob, sob._" She fell on her knees crying. Like a baby it seems.

"..." Minato was prepared for this. He has known Yukari to be like this. Bossy yet... kind... caring... but can be easily angered. Yup, she's still the same. "..." Minato didn't give an answer and proceeded to open the door.

"Wait, please... wait..." She tries to reach out for him. The others are attending to her. Junpei and Fuuka to be specific.

"..." Minato gave a cold reply by shutting the door.

"Uh, w-we'll be going ahead, haha. Ah." Yosuke tries to excuse himself and the other members of the Investigation Team but in the end he felt awkward for doing so.

"Y-Yeah, come on guys." Chie tried to help.

"...I'll be leading you guys inside. Come..." Labrys tried to excuse herself since she doesn't know the other members, former members of SEES as much as they know each other.

They all went in. The surrounding outside is still colored red for some reason and the sky is colored red, red as in blood color. "Geez, what was that all about?" Yosuke asked.

"I dunno. Lover's quarrel perhaps?" Both Chie and Yosuke sweat drop at that since it's... very personal and awkward. Then again this maybe something that Minato has to take care of for himself.

"Ahem, this way please." Labrys leads the group.

"Right, thanks Labrys."

Labrys smiled at Yosuke's gratitude. But... "Yosuke." Chie snarled again.

"Don't stomp on me! My foot and arms are very precious! Oh, and my other foot too!" ...Yosuke still remembered that "twisted" Chie that he fought in the Grand Prix. ...Can I eat you huh? That's what she... or what Shadow Labrys made her say to Yosuke to which Yosuke himself felt like he was being flirted in a more intimate way of figure of speech... NO! NOOO!

"Hmph," Chie grunted.

"Geez, hey, where did Arisato... go?"

"He went upstairs." Souji said.

"Huh? Does he- Oh right, he did had a room here so... Wait, is it open?" The sound of a door being broken down is heard in the second floor. Everyone sweat drops at that. "I think that pretty much answered my question. So anyway, Labrys, you can show us around."

"Got it."

...Later... 15 minutes have passed.

"Hey, is it just me or has it has been almost like... reddish everywhere?" Everyone has been offered a cup of tea by Mitsuru and both Aegis and Labrys were the ones who delivered the tea to everyone. Yosuke just asked a question.

"Hey, yeah huh? Is there some eclipse outside or...?" Chie said that remembering something she read on a magazine which she mistook as a instruction book on how to become a police officer but then she got intrigued by it and continued reading.

"Huh? Eclipse? Dude, it's way too early for this time of the year to- Wait, it's... not yet time, is it?"

"No, an eclipse occurred... No, it's not important. Kirijo-san?" Souji decided to let Mitsuru explain since they seems to be familiar with this atmosphere.

"Yes... We have taken notice of the change of environment a while earlier." Mitsuru said. "It was when we found out that something was happening to the military facility that was abandoned years ago. We also detected someone inside..."

"Huh? Someone inside?" Yosuke asked.

"Who the hell would set up camp there? Are they going for like... a picnic or something...?" Kanji asked.

"Huh, if they were stupid that's probably what they would have done. But no, that's not it. We figured that's where the culprit behind Labry's shadow starting the Grand Prix is hiding." Akihiko said.

"What!" Everyone in the Investigation Team is surprised by this.

"Is that true?" Rise asked.

"Then... you found out who it is?" Naoto asked.

"No... We have no idea on the identity of this person but strangely... our indicators dictate that the person is..." Mitsuru paused for a long time which puzzled the others.

"The person is... what?" Yosuke asked.

"Is it not an ordinary person then? Like... Is he the same thing as Kuma-kun?" Yukiko asked.

"No, it's not like that." Mitsuru asked.

"Hmph, no one as adorable as me would go into that kind of hellish trash hole, it's too itchy for my fur, buurr!" Kuma said as in complaining.

"Nobody asked you about your fur. Anyway, what's the deal with our man? What's he doing there?" Kanji asked.

"Well, that's the big problem you see..." Akihiko said in an uncertain way on how to put this.

"Huh?"

"To put this simply... our man... the culprit... he's... he's dead." Mitsuru said.

"...!" Everyone is shocked and surprised by this.

"Huh? He's... dead?" Souji asked.

"Dude, he... he died there?" Yosuke asked to which both Mitsuru and Akihiko nod in confirmation.

"We don't know how, but our indicators keep detailing us that the status of this person is that of "deceased" and that even though he's there..." Mitsuru said.

"Huh? Deceased? Man, did you guys relied too much on machines that you probably thought that... well, didn't you guys thought that the machine may not be functioning well?"

"Huh, don't be stupid. Those are the high technology of the Shadow Operatives. It's very rare for them to simply malfunction like that." Akihiko said.

"I'm not trying to be boastful but Sanada speaks the truth. We still don't know who he is but-" Before Mitsuru could continue the light is now back... no, it's not like it's not turned on this entire time but that... the surrounding has reverted back to normal color.

"Whoa, what the? Hey, it's... it's back to normal." Chie said.

"What the..." Akihiko and Chie stood up to look around. "Yeah, it's true... everything is back to normal color."

"Unbelievable. Did the eclipse took off?"

Yosuke sweat drops at that. "Like we keep saying we're not believing that it's an eclipse that is behind this Satonaka Chie, what we're thinking right now is that how is a dead person is still walking about and how are we going to reach him."

"I-I know that!"

"But... how is that?" Labrys asked.

"I don't know. Ask that person. But anyway, what are you gonna do about him exactly?" Yosuke asked the Shadow Operatives.

"Well if he's there... Shouldn't we just go there and apprehend him or something?" Junpei suggested.

"Well we did thought of that of course, but..." Akihiko said.

"There was something... odd. Something is there. In that Underground Military facility." Mitsuru said.

"Huh?" Yosuke asked.

"What do you mean?" Naoto asked.

"Could it be... shadows?" Yukiko asked.

"That's right... we did saw all those shadows gather at the sky and then they all disappeared together." Souji said.

"Yeah, that's right... I don't know how to put this earlier guys but when that bad guy ran off... I... I sensed something like an aura that is covering the entrance to the underground base." Rise said. She has examined the area earlier and she came up on a barrier that is surrounding the underground military facility which is like the stench of darkness itself.

"Yeah, I did sensed- Oh, I smelled it too. It was stiinky." Kuma said.

"Dude, shut up. Anyway, what was it you were going to say, Rise-chan?" Yosuke gave Rise the permission to continue while ignoring Kuma's complain.

"Well, it was like... some aura is preventing us from going there further."

"Yeah, I have detected it through my analysis." Labrys said.

"Analysis? Oh right, you're a robot and not human. Oh, sorry, you have a human heart." Souji reminded himself to be careful at addressing Labrys as a non-human being. "So what was it?"

"I don't know. It's like... It's like when you entered that place... if you're going to enter... you will feel... tingle."

"Tingle?" Yosuke asked.

"That was like the same thing you detected, right Ae- Huh? Aegis?" Labrys has noticed that Aegis seems to be staring at the stairway... at the second floor.

"...Huh? Oh uh yes?" She seems to be not listening for some time. Everyone sweat drops at that.

"...You seem to have your attention focused on something else, Aegis. Could it be...?" Mitsuru deduced the same thing that the other former SEES members have deduced.

Junpei has been staring at Yukari for some time. She has been staring at the second floor as well. "...Hey, why don't you guys head there? He probably needs some company."

"..."

"..." Yosuke and Souji hope that nothing more... well, they hope that Minato will survive this night.

...At Minato's room...

Minato is look through the window while sitting on this bed that is... dusty. It's not been used for some time so he expected that. He dusted it off a while earlier of course. This room... it's nostalgic. Yeah, nostalgia... _knock, knock. _"Um, uh... A-Arisato... Minato-san... Are you... Are you in there?"

"..." No response from the resident of this room.

"...I'm coming in." Aegis went in. She closed the door behind her afterwards. Getting inside this room feels... nostalgic. It's the same nostalgia that Minato is feeling. Last as she can gather from her memory circuit is that she came here when it was graduation at Gekkoukan. "..." She approaches Minato who didn't bother to turn to her but he has taken acknowledgement of her presence. "..." ...This is... awkward. Both of them sit on the bed.

"...Hey, how are you doing?" ...See? He has acknowledged his own lover at least... by lover... Minato's last day at 2010 was... well... she... Aegis offered her lap for him to rest on and the last thing he saw was her beautiful smile.

"Oh uh yes, I'm... I'm fine." She tries to act casual and tries to sound like one.

Yukari is by the door. She's listening to the conversation while resting her back on the wall.

"Um, are you... are you really... _sob._" Aegis seems to be tearing up.

"..." Minato turned to her. He hugged her.

"Minato-san... you're... warm." She said feeling the same warmth that she felt from him when he was still around here that time.

"...I'm fine. I'm glad you're fine."

"Hm," She buried herself onto Minato's chest while he hugged her tightly. She shook off Minato's arms though. ...Just like last time. "Oh, I'm sorry. I lost control a bit and..."

"Hm, fine." He stared back at the window.

"Oh, no, that's not..."

"...How are you doing these days? I heard you joined Mitsuru's group in making sure that Shadows' existences are not revealed to the world."

"Yes, I did. Me, Kirijo-san and Sanada-san are all part of the group."

"...And the others?"

"They... They're not within our group but they sometimes help us. Yamagishi-san has offered assistance from our previous operation."

"I see." Minato turned to her again. "I'm glad to see you."

"Yes, _sob, sob, _I as well." Minato hugged her again. This time she does not shake off his hands. They talked for a bit.

"By the way, I still have this." Minato showed her the charred screw that she gave him last time.

"Oh, you still..." By the way, as in to make things more natural, Aegis has changed into her school uniform when she was attending at Gekkoukan. "You still had it."

"I would never lose it."

"I see." Aegis felt glad and assured at that. She laid her head on Minato's right shoulder. "I am glad to see you. You're not... going somewhere... far away... like you did... last... _sob, sob._"

"Of course not." He hugged her.

"But... are you sure you're..."

"...Am I sure that I am alive and well?"

"Y-Yes, I..."

"Hm," Minato stood up.

"Arisato... Minato-san?"

...Minato smiled wickedly... "Don't worry. I still have some unfinished business." He said smiling wickedly while looking out through the window... By the way, when the environment was red earlier, the moon had an eye... Nyx. No one except Minato has noticed it.

"Business...?"

"Ah, so... hold on to this, when the time has come. I'll be sure to retrieve it back." He gave her the charred screw.

"Oh, then..."

"Ja, see ya." Minato left the room.

"Minato-san..."

"..."

"..." When Minato went out he came across Yukari who seems to have been standing here for a long time. "I heard. I heard everything."

"Hm, hm." Minato just nodded.

"You're... You're not going far away again, right? I... I didn't meant what I said, I..."

"Hm," He walked pass her while patting her shoulder.

"Wait a second." She grabbed his uniform. It's still the same uniform from back then.

"..."

"Can I... Can I... talk to you at my room...? You know, for old times sake."

"...Hm," Minato nodded in agreement.

"Thanks." She said blushing.

...Meanwhile, downstairs...

"Wow, so you guys faced your shadows and acquired your personas." Junpei and the other SEES members had a talk with the members of the Investigation team in the lounge. They talked about their own story as in how the SEES members fought with Shadows during night and how they stopped the end of the world. The Investigation team on the other hand managed to remove the irrationality of the world... the fog of stupidity and deception that is. And how they solved the mystery that has remained unsolved for a year.

The SEES members are sitting on the sofa that is near the wall while the Investigation team are on the sofa that is near the middle. Akihiko is practicing some moves along with Chie who is now like a student for him. They've been making sound here and then and Yosuke cannot help but be annoyed at all of the sounds of grunt, punch and other stuff that is like that of fighting.

"Well, in our case, it was like..." Junpei continued.

"Actually in our case... Ours was not... well, compared to them... It was more exciting." Ken said. After hearing the story of the Investigation Team about their side of the story in all the fighting shadow thing... he cannot help but compared the experiences of the Investigation Team with theirs... according to him, the experiences that the Investigation Team have faced are more treasurable and that their journey was more exciting than theirs.

"Are you saying ours was more exciting?"

"No... it's... well... painful. But for them... their story is more exciting."

"Hm, well I admit our story isn't that all fun and games. We did faced some things like... I don't know. Personal issues. Personal problems and all that." Yosuke said trying to console Ken since he seems to be pessimistic about the SEES experiences.

"Indeed, though I was the last one to join our group I could say without a doubt that it was not that really enjoyable. We did risked our lives there to fight the monsters-shadows-that live there. We also brought the killer to justice as our reward for that." Naoto added.

"Yeah, and then aibou left and now he has returned. With another disaster coming along for the ride, geez. Oh, sorry." Yosuke apologized to Souji.

"Ah." Who accepted the apology. "So Arisato was your leader?"

...At Yukari's room...

Minato shared a pleasant night with Yukari. Then, a while later...

The two of them decided to talk. Both of them are sitting on the ground with Yukari sitting on her pink pillow while Minato is sitting on a pink blanket. "Wow, we shared a lot of time huh? Um, sorry about slapping last time. I'm still the same, aren't I?"

"Hm, yeah. You never change."

"Haha, I'll take that as a compliment. Hey, by the way, when this is over. Um, uh..."

"..." Minato stood up. He turned his back away from Yukari after he faced the other direction. And then... as if saying "I'll never turn my back to you again" to her... he smiles wickedly. "Hm, Hmph, I'll be back. Until then... stay safe, my love."

"Huh?" He left the room.

... ... ...awkward silence...

"Minato..."

...At the second floor...

Minato is looking out through the window that is near the vending machines here. They are in the same position still when he was still living in here. Then... Fuuka approached. "Uh, hey, it's... it's been a while."

"Ah."

Minato noticed that everyone has grown... not just in appearance of course. But they're now future... or at least some of them seems to have rather changed for the best like Ken. Junpei is no longer someone who has no goal in mind and Fuuka... still the same as ever. "Um, how've you been? I heard from Hanamura-san that you... uh..."

"...I came to be the other day."

"I see." Both of them stare out at the window with Fuuka beside him. "So, what are you gonna do after this is... um... after we solved this case and..."

"Huh, I have a promise to keep. To you... and everyone." He said walking away.

"Minato-kun..."

"Relax. I'll be here... so soon." He left.

"Minato-kun. Hm, he's thinking isn't he?"

...At the stairway at the first floor...

"Oh, Arisato-senpai!" Ken is here and he stumbled upon Minato on the way to the stairs. "Yamagishi-senpai was asking for you. Did you...?"

"I talked with her."

"I see. Hm, anyway, um, senpai...? I'm... I'm glad that... I'm glad you're alright." Ken said blushing while looking at his feet. He's raising one of them and rubbing it... even though he's wearing his shoes. One thing that Minato noticed about Ken is that... he's not... well... he's still kinda short. A short highschooler perhaps?

"Ah. So you're now a grown up huh."

"Yeah, that's right." He said that rather proudly. "I no longer drink milk so I just do what I can and... Oh, uh, sorry. I keep rambling on and on about how I should be acting like an adult huh? Well to be honest I..." Minato talked about a lot of different things with Ken for the time.

"I see... Then, good luck."

"Ah, well, see ya." Ken went up.

"Hm," Minato went over by the counter at the dining room. Akihiko is there. He's drinking milk. ...The irony. First it was Ken and now it's him.

"Oh, you're here." He sat beside him. "You finished talking with the others. That's good. That's good. We were all like depressed when you were gone you know. Especially Junpei."

"Junpei?"

"Yeah. He was your pal you know. Don't show him any cold shoulders just yet, haha. That will be too much for him. So anyway, what are your plans?"

"...I'm going to help with the case." Minato stood up.

"Oh, wait, I forgot to tell you something."

"What?"

"Mitsuru is waiting for you at the third floor. Why don't you go and pay her a visit, okay?"

"Hm, okay." Minato decided to go to the first floor. But...

"Warf, warf!" He is ambushed by Koromaru.

"Hm, you're still cheerful as ever I see."

"Warf, warf." Minato patted him on the head and he is delighted as he rolls over and over by the ground. "Warf, warf!"

"Be a good boy, okay?"

"Warf!"

...At the second floor...

Junpei is sitting by the table. "Oh, you're here. Hey, can I talk with you for a bit?"

"...Sure." ...Great. He has to stop here for a while before he goes to the girls dormitory. Both he and Junpei stare out through the window.

"Hey, I wanted to tell you something. It's... ...It's great to have you back around man. I didn't know what happened to you when you just passed out that time and... well... Aegis and Yuka-tan..."

"Ah."

"Well, that's all history now so... shake hands? You know, for old times sake."

"Ah." Minato feels glad that he's still the same Junpei from before... well, not that way, way before. "I gotta go."

"Oh, saying something to the others. Okay, ja, good luck."

"Ah."

...At Mitsuru's room...

Minato opened the door without asking... or saying that he's coming in. "Oh, you're here." Mitsuru is here. "Come on in, I've reserved some tea for the two of us."

"Hm, thanks."

"Hm," Both Minato and Mitsuru sat together on the sofa. Both of them talked for a bit while drinking tea. And then... right on to the topic. "So, Arisato..."

"...Minato."

"...Right, Minato, I..." Right, last time Mitsuru referred to him by first name was... was... "_sob, sob, _I'm sorry. I... I can't help but be happy that you're here..."

"..." Minato stood up. "..." Then he stood in front of Mitsuru and kneeled before her.

"Hm?" She questions his action.

"Hm," He took her hand. "Didn't I say before? That should something stress you out that I'll be there?"

"Huh? Oh, oh right. You remembered. Haha, I'm impressed." Mitsuru is very glad. "You really are something, you know that? Not only you managed to keep surprising us before then but even now, you're still mesmerizing as you were before."

"Hm," Minato stood up. "So you have met Hanamura and Seta at Inaba."

"Yes, at the t.v. world actually. They call it the "Mayonaka terebi" but... That was the first time I-" Minato kneeled before her again. "Arisato? Oh- I-I mean, Minato... Minato then."

"Ah," He kissed her hand.

"Ah." She is delightened. He is about to leave but...

"I'm sorry. There is little time. I must prepare myself."

"Hm, I understand. We must attend to our duties so you must also attend to yours."

"Hm, Ja, wish me luck." Minato left.

"Hm,"

...Outside the dormitory...

Minato stepped out of the dormitory only to be encountered by Souji who seems to have been waiting for some time. "Hey, mind if you come with me?" He asked.

"Ah, sure."

"Hm," Both wild cards went to the Naganaki shrine.

...Naganaki shrine...

Both of them just climbed the stairway and now... Souji walks about a few distance from Minato... then he turns to face him. "I got a request."

"What?" This is it...

"Will you fight me?" Souji said as he drawed out his katana.

"...Sure." Minato drawed out his rapier.

"Good."

"Ah."

"Sa, let's go!"

"Hm!" ...Battle between wild cards... what will happen!

End of Chapter 3


End file.
